favourite (or favorite :-)) quirky word

harpospeaking · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 194 Location: San Diego, CA

I learned a new word in French, and I love the way it sounds. It's "cacahuete" which means peanut. I love the fact it's a legitimate word that starts with "caca." Wink

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charlsy · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 136 Location: France, Bordeaux

Harpospeaking, I give you a new one : cacophonie, meaning a horrible mess of sounds ! and why should I give you this nice new french word, say you ? well, it so happens that sometimes we "hijack" it and make it "cacaphonie" ! meaning about the same thing, plus the added touch of caca... silly but effective...

lpennin104 · Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 8

I like the word used by the English--Cheeky. It always makes me smile. Rather like snarky, I'm sure.
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Pamela Therese · Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:37 am Post subject:

Another one ... didleysquat ... a word used when the word "nothing" is supposed to be used but sounds too empty .......... a little friendlier perhaps Cool

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Griffin · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 932 Location: England

Diddleysquat is what I know about physics, sigh! But I do love the thought of smorgasbord Very Happy

It's the thought of a feast... mmmm, feeeast!

Cheeky always reminds me of the cheeks (upper of course, ahem) when the cheeky person smiles!

Judy,

ta, I knew there was a white something in there... and it sounds very poetic too.

Charlsy,
I like Captain Haddock's explosions too! I used to call my brother a bashi-bazouk... without knowing what a bashi-bazouk was! And Mephistopheles reminds me of T.S. Eliot's book, 'Old Possum's book of Practical Cats'. I am sure-ish that there is a cat called Mephistopheles in there, tho' it could well have been Macavity the mystery cat...!

I like possum too. Our first cat was a stray and adopted us. In memory of Old Possum's book, my mum called the cat, Possum and so she was. She never played dead tho', she had too much moxie - another favourite word of mine!
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David · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:17 pm Post subject:

You are quite right Griffin, both MaCavity and Mephistopheles are Elliot wonders.
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Judy · Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:33 am Post subject:

No, T.S Elliott's cat was Mr. Mistoffelees.

Mephistopheles' name is associated with the story of Faust, a scholar who sold his soul to the demon Mephistopheles for knowledge.
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charlsy · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 136 Location: France, Bordeaux

Griffin, can you read french ? I seem to remember reading something about that, but maybe it was another member ! anyway, here is a link with the insults of Haddock ! And the meaning of the unusual ones !
http://bedes.ifrance.com/insultes.html
For instance a bashibouzouk is a soldier from the old ottoman empire.

And Méphistophélès sounds so beautiful, one of the many names of the Devil, the best one being Lucifer IMO (Bringer of light, for those who did not have a latin course in high school !). Although the original Shaitan does have a nice ring... Now I'm gonna pass for a devil-worshipper ! Where do words lead us !!!

Griffin · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 932 Location: England

Thanks David, I was sure of them... but not quite sure enough!

Judy,

As a fan of Gothic-Romantic literature, I do know Mephistopheles from Faust, both by Marlowe and Goethe. Wonderful stuff too!

charlsy,

I can read a bit of French, tho' I am sadly not fluent, sigh! It's such a beautiful language. Thanks for the insults of Haddock, I shall look them up and practice them! Twisted Evil

Mephistopheles and Lucifer do sound beautiful, better than Beelzebub, I think. Lucifers in Britain used to be the name for safety matches, probably because they were bringers of light in their own humble way!

I find that words inevitably take on extra meanings depending on what they mean to us in their contexts. As someone who loves myth I love the sound of Aphrodite but I appreciate that I would as she was goddess of Love! Tho' my favourite is Bacchus as god of wine!!

Oh and I like the words Languid and Linguini... mmmm!
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charlsy · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 136 Location: France, Bordeaux

Linguini ! there was a movie, with David Bowie and Rosanna Arquette, called "The Linguini incident" ! Impossible translation in french for such a title !
And how about taxidermist... or undertaker ! in french "croquemort" (they used to bite a toe to check the dead was truly dead, so the legend goes, hence the name "croquemort", the one who bites dead people... Come to think of it, undertaker... the one who takes people under ? six feet under !

David · Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:45 pm Post subject:

Judy! Of course---Mistoffelees!

thanks for the correction!
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Griffin · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 932 Location: England

Erin · Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:13 pm Post subject:

I find spelt hilarious.
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Griffin · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 932 Location: England

Erin,

Surely it depends on how it's spelt? I wondered if spelt was what fur trappers used to say when they were asked what the fur was... ''Spelt, innit!'
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Erin · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 1:38 am Post subject:

Griffin,
Thanks for the full belly laugh.
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"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."